Fox News Dragged For Claiming 'People Are Still Coming Out' To Trump's Great American State Fair As Live Video Shows Otherwise

Fox News was widely mocked after White House correspondent Peter Doocy said on the air that "people are still coming out" to President Donald Trump's Great American State Fair despite their live footage showing hardly anyone in attendance.

Crowds were relatively light, according to several news organizations, with The Washington Post reporting that opening-day attendance was "relatively sparse compared with past National Mall events." The Post even said that “The crowd thinly covered an area about the length of the National Museum of American History, smaller than some more outdoor movie screenings.”

Despite this, Fox News' coverage of the event was overwhelmingly positive and at one point, Doocy said:

"It's really something. The weather, not the best today, but people are still coming out!"

You can hear what he said as he looked out at the largely empty fairgrounds below.

Seriously, there was barely anyone there, though the Trump administration projected as many as 45,000 people would attend on opening day.

The event itself was plagued by a series of problems. Power outages disrupted several attractions, melting ice cream, halting the 110-foot Ferris wheel, and forcing the closure of West Virginia's exhibit due to air conditioning failures, according to USA Today. Freedom 250 spokesperson Julia Friedland acknowledged the disruptions, describing them as "power hiccups."

The fair features exhibits representing all 50 states, but several—including Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, and Pennsylvania—opted not to send official delegations because of budget or scheduling constraints.

North Carolina's privately sponsored exhibit also drew controversy after displaying what state officials described as an "unapproved image" of the Confederate flag, prompting the governor's office to demand that organizers "stop dishonoring the flag of North Carolina."

The weather added to the event's troubles. Friday's festivities were cut short by rain, USA Today reported, while forecasts warned that Saturday's schedule could also be disrupted by showers and possible afternoon thunderstorms.

Oh, and as if the event hadn't suffered enough setbacks, Vanilla Ice was scheduled to headline Friday night's Freedom 250 concert—only for organizers to cancel the show about 90 minutes before he was set to perform over forecasts of severe weather that never actually materialized.

Given all this, Fox was widely skewered for its fawning coverage of this dud of an event.

It's no surprise the event was a failure, considering Trump was mocked online last month after he complained about the artists allegedly scheduled to perform dropping out, prompting him to suggest himself as a replacement.

Trump—whose narcissism has been in overdrive during his second term—actually referred to himself as the "Number One Attraction" in the world in a post on Truth Social. He argued that the nation's 250th anniversary celebration should feature a large MAGA rally rather than musical performers, whom he dismissed as expensive, unpopular, and overly critical.

Trump did not mention that a number of scheduled performers reportedly withdrew from the concert after expressing concerns about the event's increasingly partisan nature.